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D.C. Police Update Body Camera Policy After Fatal Shooting

WASHINGTON — Police officers in Washington will have to confirm with dispatchers that they’ve turned on body cameras when responding to calls or interacting with people.

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the change Thursday, days after she says an officer didn’t activate his camera until the fatal shooting of a motorcyclist who hit a police cruiser. Police say 31-year-old Terrence Sterling, of Fort Washington, Maryland, was fatally shot early Sunday. The shooting is under investigation and the officer is on administrative leave.

Bowser says dispatchers will remind officers to turn on their cameras when relaying emergency call information and officers must acknowledge the reminder.

In the last month Interim Police Chief Peter Newsham says officers activated cameras 55,000 times, but officials identified 10 times when officers didn’t activate cameras when they should have.